100 crore Hindus can vote Modi to power: Uddhav Thackeray

In his first Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park after his father Bal Thackeray’s demise, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray played the Hindutva card, appealing to all Hindus to vote unanimously, while gunning for BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Uddhav also criticised chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in an attempt to rubbish senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi, who had questioned the Sena chief ’s leadership style and said that Uddhav’s cosying up to Chavan has been of no use.

“Like a hen, the chief minister is forever sitting on files, but there are no eggs that hatch (there is no outcome),” Uddhav said.

He slammed Chavan for being unable to find antisuperstition activist Narendra Dabholkar’s muderers.

“He keeps saying that fascists murdered him. So where are they?” Chavan is always busy forming committees for any decision, he added.

On the issue of Hindutva, Uddhav said that supporting Modi has now become equal to being communal.

“We have to take late Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray’s call for Hindutva ahead. There are 100 crore Hindus and if they don’t show unity and vote, then it is of no use. If you do not come out and support Modi, then the Congress-NCP rule will ensure that our future generations are devastated,” he said.

“Just because someone is Hindu, you cannot insult them. Sharad Pawar gave Ishrat a certificate of innocence even when David Headley spoke of her involvement. On the other hand, people like Colonel Purohit and Pragya Singh are languishing in jails. Why has the government not been able to prove anything?”

He added that the Sena has nothing against Muslims, and they were his brothers.

“When I met PM Manmohan Singh, I told him that if he was providing facilities to poor Muslims, it should be extended to everyone. In the Sena, we have several Muslim brothers who are supporters,” he said.

Also present at the rally was MNS legislator Harshvardhan Jadhav, who Uddhav welcomed.